Knitting
is a tactile, kinetic activity. Consequently, it’s really
hard to learn from books, which are usually 2D and usually
static. To replicate the experience of learning from a friend
or relative many of us are turning to DVDs or short clips posted
on the internet. I frequently troll the web for techniques
that are obscure or new to me. I’m always on a mission
to learn the little techniques that bring a polish to your
knitting and elevate your knitterly status from hobbyist to
artisan.

Videos make it easy to emulate the exact motions of a particular stitch and best of all, you can replay them over and over with no shame or fear of exhausting the generosity of your teacher. New knitters especially will love this private tutoring.

This week’s free pattern, the Rosebud Cardigan knit in Ultra® Alpaca Light, provided plenty of fodder for tutorials. I took to my reference books and polled my office mates for their favorite methods for picking up stitches, making a button loop and knitting a 4-stitch bobble:

click on video to play

Finishing a collar usually requires picking up stitches. Create a smoothly curved line by slipping the first stitch of every bound off ‘batch’ of stitches. Pick up stitches by inserting your right hand needle tip into the middle of a V shaped stitch. Wrap with a new strand of yarn and pull through the V. If you need to pick up more than a 1:1 ratio you can pick up a stitch between two Vs as well.

Alternatively, you can pick up the outer edge of the bound
off edge. Examine the bound off edge and you'll see a chain
of V stitches running along the top. Insert the right hand needle into
the middle and knit into this stitch.

click on video to play

We added these button loops after knitting the sweater—a good trick to know if you’re unsure of how you want to close the garment or if you forgot to make buttonholes (it happens!) Thread a tapestry needle with a 18-24″ piece of yarn. Knot the end of the yarn and insert the needle where you want your first button loop. Make a second stitch an inch or so away from the first stitch. Tighten up the thread, placing your fingers in between the yarn and the buttonband creating a loop. Work blanket stitch around this loop, stacking each stitch on top of the previous one until the entire loop is covered with yarn.

click on video to play

Making a bobble is simple—you’re increasing and decreasing rapidly in one stitch. Watch our tutorial to see how the 4-stitch bobble in this pattern is worked

Work until pattern says “place bobble” or “make bobble.” Knit one in the front and back loop of the next stitch and do NOT slip these stitches off the needle! Instead, repeat this step, knitting into the front and back loops once more. Slip stitches off needle and turn work. Purl across these 4 stitches, turn work. Ssk, k2tog, turn work. P2tog, turn work. Purl one. Voila, you’ve bobbled!

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